Author
Grissino-Mayer, Henri D.Affiliation
Laboratory of Tree-Ring Science, Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TnIssue Date
2003Keywords
DendrochronologyTree Rings
Increment Borers
Increment Borer Maintenance
Damage from Increment Borers
Field Methods
Metadata
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Copyright © Tree-Ring Society. All rights reserved.Collection Information
This item is part of the Tree-Ring Research (formerly Tree-Ring Bulletin) archive. It was digitized from a physical copy provided by the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at The University of Arizona. For more information about this peer-reviewed scholarly journal, please email the Editor of Tree-Ring Research at editor@treeringsociety.org.Publisher
Tree-Ring SocietyJournal
Tree-Ring ResearchCitation
Grissino-Mayer, H.D. 2003. A manual and tutorial for the proper use of an increment borer. Tree-Ring Research 59(2):63-79.Abstract
An increment borer is the primary tool used to collect samples for dendrochronological analyses. These are precision instruments and users should be trained in their proper use, care, and maintenance. In this paper, I describe the various parts of an increment borer and how to keep these in working condition. I provide details on how to sharpen an increment borer, properly core a tree, check for core compression ("jamming"), extract the core, and store the core for transport. I provide tips on how to clear a jammed borer and remove a borer stuck in a tree. An important topic concerns the effects of boring on trees. The majority of studies indicate that conifers are minimally affected by both fungal decay and discoloration, whereas certain hardwood species can sustain major internal damage. Plugging the holes created by coring is unnecessary.ISSN
2162-45851536-1098